, 1887-06-11
"a STEP TO AN ACQUAINTANCE
WITH FLORA

Bulletin to give a short account OF a lecture
delivered under the above title by the Revd.
r. de M. Dodsworth to the Y. M. Q. A. on
the Is ult. Pressure of other business has
hitherto prevented the fultilment of our pro-
mise, which we shall now attempt.
The lecturer explained that "tlora" was
not the name of a young lady, but a plural
word signifying flowers and plants in general,
the study of which was known as botany.
Of this science there were several branches,
anatomical, fossil, &c, but he should limit
himself to one, that which dealt with the
classification of plants. After disclaiming
any pretension to being q specialist IN the
subject, the lecturer proceeded to speak OF
the great number and variety of plants IN
the world and the necessity Of some cIGSSyf-
cation of them. The first really valuable
system of classification of plants was framed
by Carl Won Lime, or Linn@us, q Swede, who
lived in the time of Gustavus III.
This remarkable man, who studied and wrote
on all branches of natural history, made q
large and valuable collection of plants, which
after his death was purchased by an English
gentleman from the widow for about 61,O0O.
The lecturer proceeded to explain the nature
of the Linnean system, On examining q
flower we perceive that the lower or outer
most part consists of q green cup holding or
supporting the rest Of the flower. This IS
called the cdlyr or cup, and when divided
into separate parts or leaves, each part Is cal
led q sepaI. Inside the calyx we find the
brilliantly coloured part of the flower, called
the c0r0UG, which means 'lttIe crown,
and each separate part Of which IS called q
petal. Inside the corolla we observe that
there comes a set of thread-like bodies, each
carrying a little bag or case at the top, full
Il = g. I'LL Ill HhNnn hnhTnn
are called Stdmens; the thread part being
called the flalnent; the bag at the top, the
aHther; and the granny matter therein
contained, the pollen. Last of all. in the
centre of the flower comes an upright body
called the pistiE, which consists of q hollow
rod called the style, generally having at the
top one or more of a small body of different
shape in different plants and called the stag
ma and ending at the bottom in q case con-
tanning the OUWleS or future seeds, the case
being called the OrGry or egg-box. Now
Lime knew that the most important parts OF
the flower were the stamens and the pistll.
For the pistil contains the future seeds Of the
plant, by which the species is to be perpetua-
ted; but unless the pollen from the stamens
is in some way brought from the anthers to
the stigma on the top of the pistil and from
thence f~ertilises the ovules in the ovary, the
seeds will not come to perfection. The pol
len is brought into contact with the stigma
in various ways; sometimes the stanens and
pistil meet within the flower, but more
generally the pollen in conveyed by the wind
or by insects; in any case it is absolutely
necessary shat it shall come into contact with
the stigma if the life of the species is to be
continued. Hence the great Importance Of
these inner parts of the flower. Linn@us
then, conceived the idea of basing his classi-
~fcation on the numbers and positions of
of these parts. He first took the stamens,
and made up his classes of plants as follows.
The flowers having only one stamen were
put into Glass I, those having too stamens
into class two, and SO on up to Class XII, which
included those having more than ten but less
than 90 stamens. In Glass xii were placed all
the plants having 90 stamens, while those
having more than that number made Class
xiii. Ten more classes of Towering plants
were formed from points of arrangement.
Thus Glass xiv included all those plants hav-
ing two long and two short stamens, like the
calabasEedower and the cedar flower. Glass
x included those having four stamens longer
than the rest, as in the cabbage family, mus,
tard &c. In Class xvi were placed all those.
where the stamens are united by their fila.
ments into one brotherhood, forming o tube
as for instance in the hibiscus flower, ochra
&c. Glass xvii contained those plants where
the stamens are united into t,eo brotherhoods
no w %Ln a. H~I AN~. 100000 IL HIo~1